I do meet interesting people! Notes from Dubai

4 August 2025

Oftentimes travelling is not about landmarks, but about people, even if you see them for a few minutes. One day in Dubai stayed with me because of three of them.

  1. Carrots Instead of Croissants
    A perfectly respectable-looking young man buys two packs of fresh carrots at the shop in our Sonder hotel. Before the checkout machine even finishes printing the receipt, one pack is already open — and he’s happily chewing on raw, unwashed carrots, with appetite! I even considered — just for a second — swapping my chocolate croissants for carrots. Just for a second.

  2. Socks as a Tool of Cultural Diplomacy
    Right there in the elevator on our way up, a young Arab woman sharing the ride suddenly says to me:
    — Wow, I love your socks!
    — Oh, thank you! They’re from Cyprus, actually.
    — Amazing country. Great socks!
    — Thanks again.
    The strangest dialogue I’ve had in a while, and the first compliment my socks have ever received. Acid-yellow ones, at that. Turns out the smallest details and the least obvious things can be excellent advertising… for an entire country.

  3. A Woman on the Metro and Absolute Freedom
    In public places, such as parks or on the metro, I love watching people — their accessories, posture, facial expressions — and guessing their stories. That day, one woman stood out: an Indian woman on the metro, in her sixties. Bare midriff, a bright skirt, a crop top with a light cover-up, a nose ring, AirPods, stylish glasses. In her hands — a soft throw blanket from a home goods store. Did she buy it for herself or her grandchildren maybe? And what’s playing in her headphones — Indian classical music, Rammstein, or Eminem? What does she love? It felt like anything, unapologetically. She radiated such inner freedom and authenticity. I so much love that.

She reminded me of the Canary Islands, of two elderly women I once saw there, years ago. They were around seventy. In the morning, they drank champagne, smoked 🌱, and sunbathed topless — yes, really. A true ode to hedonism. Each free and each with her own story.

And it’s exactly for moments like these that I love to travel.

Sincerely,

Alisa Abramova